Grinding and polishing machine.



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Patented Nov. 17, 1914 A. KINGSBURY.

GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLIOTION FILED JULY 19, 1912.

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A. KINGSBURY.

GRINDING AND PoLIsHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1912.

Patented Nov.`17, 1914. 'E

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,- INVENTOR BY @www H l ATTORNEY Aas ALBERT KINGSBURY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Application filed July 1B, 1912. Serial No. 710,495.

To all ywhom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT KINGSBURY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grinding and Polishing Machines, of which the following 1s a specication.

My invention relates to grinding and polishing machines and it has special reference to the bearings of rotatable machines of this character.

One object of my invention is to provide a machine of the class above indicated that shall embody a relatively simple rotatable member, Nand bearings that are especially adapted to support the same.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth hereinafter.

I will describe my invention in the tollowing spccitication and point out the novel features thereof in appended claims.

Glass grinding and polishing machines have hitherto comprised a rotatable table or deck, to which the glass was fixed, a relatively long vertical spindle which extended downwardly from the deck and a pair ot' spindle bearings, one located near the table. or deck and the other near the lower end of the spindle. The tables or decks of machines of this class are of relatively large diameters and in one type of machine, are transferred, with the glass, from one part to another of the manufacturing plant, in which the glass is proijluced. In another type of glass polishing machine, the vertical spindle is omitted and annular supporting bearings are provided at a considerable distance from the center oi the table or deck, where they are subjected to adverse conditions. The arrangement embodying the spindle has the disadvantage that it lacks rigidity and is relatively expensive to construct.

According to my present invention, I provide a machine of the other type, in which no vertical spindle is necessary, having a novel and particularly desirable structure and arrangement of bearings, by which a large proportion of thc weight ol the moving parts is carried near the center ol' rotation, where the linear velocity of the moving parts of the bearing is relativel)Y low, and a small proportion of the weight is rigidly supported by suitable guide bearings which are located near the periphery of the rotatable member and are so constructed as to be readily adjustable. The central bearing on which the bulk of the weight is supported is specially constructed to pivotally support and center the table in addition to sustaining the very high thrust pressure produced by its weight. j Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional elevation of a portion of a glass grinding and polishing machine constructed in accordance with and embodying m v invention. Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow II of Fig. l, certain ot' the parts being broken away to disclose one of the bearing shoes and its support, and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of one of the shoes ot' Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the stationary part of the central bearing or' Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a sectional view, on the line A #B of Fig. 4, and Figs. and T are, respectively, :1n elevation and a bottom plan view of one of the shoes, of which the central bearing is comprised.

Like characters of reference designate correspouiiling parts in all the figures.

lelcrring to the drawings, the structure here shown comprises a stationary bed plate l. a bea ring housing adjustably supported thereon, a plurality of radial shoes 3 mountcd on thc housing 2, a frame 0r spider 4, an annular guide bracket 5, on which a plurality of guide braring shoes 6 are supported, and a table or desk 7 which is mounted on the trame or spider 4. The bed plate l. is set in a body 8 of cement or otherwise suitabljv supported and has a plane top surface l) on which the housing 2 rests. It is also provided with a plurality of projections I() in which radial adjusting screws ll are mounted. The adjusting screws ll act against a plurality of radial projections 12, ot the housing 2, which correspond in number and location to the projections lll of the bed plate. yThe projections l2 are provided with vertical holes 13 through which clamping bolts llt extend, the size ol the holes being larger than the size ot thc bolts in order to permit a material adjustnu-nt. of the housing on the bed plate. The housing is provided with a flange 15 and iifonstitntes a receptacle in which oil or some other suitable lubricating fluid is contained. The outer portion lli of the inner face. of the receptacle base, adjacent to the flange 15, is outwardly and upwardly inclined and is provided with a plurality of spherically curved recesses 17 having small cylindrical extensions 17".

Each of the shoes 3 has a projection 18 having spherically curved shoulders which are adapted to engage one of the spherically curved recesses 17, thegend of the projection registering with the extension 17 of the recess. The center lines of the recesses 17 are oblique and meet in a single point which lies in the vertical axis of the rotatable parts of the machine. The extremities of the projections 18 lit loosely into the recesses 17 and are merely intended to prevent the shoes from becoming materially displaced while face )provides a pivotal mounting for the shoesnprmitting them to t1lt in operation and to automatically maintain a lm of oil between the bearing surfaces. The outer surface 20 of each shoe is concave, and spherically curved, the center of curvature being coincident with the point of intersection of the center lires of the recesses 17.

The frame 4f is provided with a removable ring 21 which is secured to it by bolts 22 and is provided with a spherically curved surface which is convex and is adapted to engage the surfaces 20 of the bearing shoes. The structure and arrangement of the bearing comprising the ring 21, the shoes 3 and the parts with which they are associated, are such as to automatically center the frame and table of the machine and at the same time to support a large proportion of theA weight of the rotating parts without excessive wear on the bearing surfaces even if the rotating parts operate at relatively high speeds. The combined guide and thrust bearing which forms a part of the structure of my present invention is broadly covered in my co-pending application Serial No. 7 51,737 tiled March 3, 1913, which is in part a continuation of this application. The

- frame 4 is provided with a substantially cylindrical shell or llange 24.- to which a driving gear 25 and guard flanges 26 and 27 are secured. The lower edge of the cylindrical shell or Harige 24 is enlarged to provide a plane bearing surface 28 which is adapted to engage the radial bearing shoes 6. The shoes 6 are each provided with a hemispherical recess 29 which engages the srherically curved top 30 of an adjusting screw 31. The shoes are disposed in an annular groove or channel 32 in a, ring 33 which is a part ol the bracket 5 and is supported on a plurality of legs 34 that rest on the concrete 8 or are otherwise suitably supported. The screws 31 extend through the ring 33 into the bottom of the groove 32 and mav be independently adjusted to determine the positions of the bearing shoes. Each of the shoes is provided with a transverse ri b projection 35 the engaging spherical suring a centrally located which substantiallv corresponds to the width of the groove 32 and prevents rotation of the shoes on their supporting pins. The heads of each of the adjusting screws 31 is provided with a cap 36 which serves the double purpose of a set nut and as a cap to pre vent oil or lubricating fluid, which is contained in the groove 32, from leaking around the adjusting screws. ([Guards 26 and 27 overhang the walls of the channel 32 so that they prevent foreign matter from entering the channel and interfering with the operation of the guide bearing shoes. The bearing surface of each of the shoes 6 is preferably provided with a coating of babbitt, or some other suitable bearing metalwhich can be readily renewed.' The bearing housing 2 mav be adjusted to make it concentric with the annular bracket 5 by means of the screws 11. After the desired position is reached, the bolts 14 are tightened and securely clamp the housing to the base 1.

In operation, the bearing shoes 3 so co operate with the bearing surface 23 of the ring 21 as to supporta large proportion of the weight of the rotating table and also to automatically center the table. `The surface of the table is leveled by adjusting the screws 31, the arrangement of parts being such that a small proportion of the weight is carried by the shoes 6 which serve primarily to keep the surface of the table 'level and guide its rotation.

Both the shoes 3 and the shoes 6 are tiltably supported as already described in order that they may assume an inclined position and automatically maintain an oil film between the bearing surfaces in accordance with the principles governing the operation of the radial bearing shoes set forth and described in Patent No. 947,242 nrranted J anuary 25th 1910 on an application filed by me on May 20th, 1907.

Structural modifications may be effected within the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire that only such limitations be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A grinding and polishing machine having stationary base, a housing a'djustably and centrally supported on the base, a stati-onary annular guide bearing bracket concentric with the housing, a plurality of radial shoes supported in the housing with inwardly inclined axes, a table or deck havbearing member supported on the radial shoes and guide bearing members supported by the annular bracket.

2. A machine comprising a rotatable member having an annular flange and a guide bearing for said member comprising a stationary annular channelshaped member into which the flange of the rotatable member extends, and a plurality of bearing shoes v tiltably and adjustably supported by the stationary member within the channel.

A grinding and polishing machine coniprising a stationary bracket having anranuular groove in its top surface, a plurality of bearing shoes disposed in the annular' groove, vertically adjustable bolts extending into the bottom of the groove and tiltably und adjustably supporting the shoes, a rotatable table or deck and a supporting frame therefor having an annular flange extending downwardly into the annular groove and resting on the upper surfaces of the bearing shoes.

4. A grinding and polishing machine having a stationary base, a housing adjustably and centrally supported on the base, a langed rotatable member having a centrally located bearing member supported on the radial shoes, a stationary bracket having an annular groove inits top surface, a plurality of bearing shoes disposed in the annular groove, vertically adjustable bolts eX- tending into the bottom of the groove and tiltably and adjustably supporting the shoes, a rotatuble table or deck und a supporting frame therefor having an annular flange extending downwardly into the annular groove and resting on the upper surfaces of the bearing shoes.

A grinding and polishing machine comprising a relatively stationary central guide and thrust bearing, a supporting frame rotatively mounted on said bearing, a table removably mounted on said supporting frame and peripheral guide bearing members for the supporting frame.

6. A grinding and polishing machine comprising a rotatable supporting frame, a table removably mounted thereon, and havinwr a plane top surface and a central guide and thrust bearing and a peripheral guide bearing for the supporting frame, said guide bearing comprising a plurality of radial shoes.

7. A. grinding and polishing machine comprising a Stationary base, a rotatable frame having an annular guidey bearing surface of relatively large radius, a central guide and thrust bearing for the frame and relatively stationary radial guide bearing members mounted on the base,

S.- A grinding and polishing machine comprising a stationary base, a rotatable frame having an annular guide bearing'surface, of relatively large radius, a central guide and th rusbearing for the frame and relatively stationary radial guide bearing shoes tiltably supported on the base.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of July 1912.

ALBERT KINGSBURY.

litnesses 1 R, J. DEARBORN, B. B. HimlsA 

